Student of the week: Week ending 16th July

GEORGIA COVILL

BEST DRESSED
ALEX FLYNN
 

My experiences of university... Mr. Vankoningsveld

I went to university in the Netherlands. I wanted to study Medicine, but because of the lottery system due to oversubscription, I did not get a place. Instead of waiting a year to re-enter the draw, I decided to study Chemistry, my second choice. The university I went to was the University of Groningen, which has a well-known science faculty and the city is a typical university town, so lots of opportunities to socialise. As it was more than an hour away from where my parents lived, I moved to Groningen to a house I shared with two other students. I really enjoyed the responsiblilities that came with living on my own and be able to do my own things. 

The beginning of my study was really hard. The increased pace was something I had to get used to and I had to do a lot more revision and private study time. I showed me I had to work independently. During the first year I also had lots of practical courses in the lab which were a nice break from the theoretical subjects. During the first year I passed most of my exams, so I was confident that I could continue the complete course. After the second year we had to choose a specialism for which I picked Biochemistry as I was very interested in the chemistry of living things. During my specialism I did a 20 week practical which was very interesting and for which I had to write a full report. It also included a internship in Cambridge, where I was working in a lab or half a year. This was a unique opportunity as I got to work in a lab which was run by a Nobel prize winner! Also, living abroad for half a year made me realise there is more to the world than the Netherlands. Even so that after I got my degree I decided to come back to the UK and do my PhD at Queen Mary University of London.

My experiences of university... Mrs. Raji @ Goldsmiths College

Where you went?

I went to Goldsmiths College, which is part of the University of London

Why you chose there?

Originally I was supposed to go to DeMonfort to study performing arts, but after a long summer away my boyfriend (who is now my husband) decided that he didn’t want me to go far away for uni. So having done A Levels in Drama, Performing Arts and Media, I went through clearing and got on to a Communications and Sociology course as I didn’t have enough points for the Media and Communications course. It so happened that I became critically ill and had to take a year out the uni agreed to keep my place but I asked if I could get on to the Media and Communications course this time, and after a short interview they agreed! So basically my only reason for going there was because it was the only good uni left on the clearing list that has a course I wanted to do.

What you enjoyed?

I enjoyed the theory side of it and that every term there where overarching themes split into sub sections that you knew about in advance, so if I missed a lecture then I wouldn’t choose to write my termly paper on that topic. I like the fact that on the practical side you got to get a taster in year 1, then specialise in two things in the second year I did radio and photography, and then specialise in 1 thing in the third year. I like the fact that many of the exams were seen exams and that I had a choice as to whether I wrote a dissertation, or took on an extra subject with and exam. Sorry couldn’t tell you about the social side as I didn’t really partake in the typical social side of uni, I did join the ACS the Afro-Caribbean Society.

Any negatives /positives of that uni

It was close to home and parking was relatively easy, the seminar leaders were usually students so they understood the pressures we as students were under. I don’t have any negatives

My experiences of university... Mr. Hanes

where you went?  I never went to 6th Form when I was younger - I was not really an "academic" and only really passed CSE's and at a "E" grade equilivant. At 16 I followed my creative pathway and went to the London College of Furniture.  I took "A" Level qualifications in practical subjects for the next 4 years and then took a HND Course in Production Management.  This turned into a Degree course which I completed in a year. (and it nearly killed me!)

The second degree was at Greenwich University - Avery Hill, Eltham.  This is where I took my Teaching Degree.

why you chose there?  LCF - It was the best at the time for practical work.  It was a short train journey away and after the first 3 years - some great friends.

Greenwich - as a student, I was living close to the place and in fact I could walk there - great bonus when you have limited money.

what you enjoyed?  The whole practical experience was just the best.  We had the latest computerised production equipment and I was allowed to be very creative.  I was able to develop my knowledge of CAD and CAM and took additional courses in these systems.

what you studied? LCF - Traditional and modern construction for furniture.  Machinery for Production, BTEC Diploma in Furniture Design and Manufacture, HND Production Management which led to a Degree in Furniture Production Management.  Greenwich - BEd in Teaching Technology.

any negatives /positives of that uni  Negatives - money.  Commuting to London.  For the second degree, I was able to live close to the place so money was not such an issue.  The work load - too much....

Positives - I taught the college lectures how to use much of the machinery when I was at the LCF, great social activities, freedom to be creative.

My experiences of university...

where you went?

King's College, London

why you chose there?

I chose King's mainly because it had a good reputation, had the course I wanted to study and was in the heart of London on the Strand. Lot's of my friends from home chose the same university so that they could all be together but I chose the university that was the best fit for me. Most of the people who went to the same uni found that they made new friends and grew apart over the 3 or 4 years that they studied so I would recommend choosing the course that fits your aspirations best and not just following your friends.

what you enjoyed?

I wrote for the University paper and the London Student paper as a music and gigs reviewer and I got to see and interview a lot of bands and artists for free! A highlight was interviewing Pete Doherty from the Libertines just after a performance, I also met King's of Leon, Franz Ferdinand and the Pixies because I worked for the paper.

I also found the societies and sporting clubs were a great aspect of university life. I was a member of the Film Club where we watched a classic film once a week in a huge auditorium and had visiting speakers from the industry. Although I am not religious I was also a member of an inter-faith debating society, where we discussed the differing stances of the main religious faiths. In this capacity I was very lucky to be able to meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who is an alumnus of King's and a Nobel Peace Prize winner.

what you studied?

I studied War Studies and Philosophy as a joint honours course. War Studies is King's version of International Relations and is a mixture of History, Politics and Development Studies. 

any negatives /positives of that uni

The negatives of my course were the organisation between the two faculties because I studied a joint honours course, I think if I could do it again I would have just dealt with one faculty as there was a lot of conflict between the two timetables and some of my course options were limited.

The positives of King's are that you are right in the heart of London; this is a huge bonus academically as you have access to all of the university of London libraries and can join clubs and societies in most of the other London colleges, including SOAS, LSE, UCL, Goldsmiths, Royal Holloway... and many more. There are also a wide variety of intercollegiate courses and activities and you can go to events at all of the other Student Unions in London which is great for cheap nights out. There is also a huge amount of camaraderie amongst the colleges especially when it comes to sporting events. 

A slight negative was that King's is not a campus university so you are not living on the same site as your university buildings. This said there was some excellent college owned accommodation; in my 1st year I lived on Stamford Street which is just behind the National Theatre on the South Bank. The other problem is that London is very expensive and I found that when I visited friends in Cardiff, Manchester and Sheffield, despite a slightly larger student loan, they seemed to be getting a lot more for their money! 

My experiences of university... Mrs. Doyle @ Greenwich University

I went to Greenwich Uni, only two Uni's did the course I wanted to do; marketing communications, now you can do study this course at almost any Uni. I picked Greenwich as it's course leader was the man who set up and started this course plus he was the CEO of one of the top five advertising agencies in the world. He was a legend in the advertising world.

I loved Uni and would go back in time and redo the course in a flash, I found the first year very easy, thanks to working hard on my business studies a level, which meant I had lots of time to socialise and make a lot of friends 5 of home I am still good friends with even though they are travelling the world and working for brands like L'Oreal. We quickly became friends as we realised that a lot of first year students did not care and slowly began to drop out.

I made some extra cash by tutoring in the first year, a lot if uni students have no study skills. The second year was odd as our class sizes had halved due to lots of people failing, this year went far too quickly, I also
noticed that the lectures were getting to know us by name now.  The third year was the hardest but also the most fun students who were on a year at work came back, one of them was the student bar manager, that
made for some cheap night outs. We also went to a pub on campus and the lecturers also use to enjoy us for lunch and drinks, of course it was always tea.

I finished Uni with a 2:1, gutted as I missed a first by less than 1%, I think my only regret was not getting a slightly higher mark in my dissertation, but I got over that pretty quickly.

My experiences of university... Ms. Striling @ Middlesex University

I went to  Middlesex University in London. I chose to go there because it was close to wear I lived and I was really impressed by the quality of the work done on the course. For personal reasons I didn't want to move away to uni.

I enjoyed the space where the uni was situated. I liked that it was not in the middle of the city and was quite quiet.

I did a 1 year art and design foundation course, then a BA Applied Arts, and I also did my PGCE there too.

Due to lots of budget cuts we lost quite a few members of staff in certain departments which led to there being less workshops.

My experiences of university... Mr. Cartwright

I did a years Foundation Course in Art and Design at Rochester I then went on to study Fine Art, specialising in painting, at what was then North-East London Polytechnic. I chose that college purely on the basis that it was the only london college that took second choice applications . I was rejected from my first choice college which was Chelsea. I loved being at Art College. I was given a studio space met loads of interesting people did loads of work and got a first!

My experiences of university... Ms. Green @ The University of Western Australia

where you went?

The University of Western Australia (UWA).

 

why you chose there?

It is generally the best regarded university in Western Australia (there are 5) and had lots of flexibility in the units I could take.

 

what you enjoyed?

Meeting people from lots of interesting backgrounds both socially and through my studies. I was also very active in running student groups and was on the student union council and ran the environment department.

 

what you studied?

I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do once I left school so I enrolled in a general Bachelor of Arts degree as it gave me more flexibility in first year than a Bachelor of Science. In first year I studied psychology, philosophy, creative writing, anthropology and geography. I loved the geography units so much I ended up completing my honors in it. The geography units I did included- biogeography, urban and rural development, soil science, international development and geographical information systems. I also did a number of ethics units as they wouldn't let me do pure geography units.

 

I chose to complete my Graduate Diploma of Education at UWA as well because I really liked the programe and did a major in Studies of Society & Environment and a minor in Information Technology.

 

any negatives /positives of that uni

UWA has a very active on campus life and I made lots of friends who I'm still close to even now. I still see a couple of my lecturers even when I go back. It's also really well regarded and I found it was looked favourably on by employers when I left university.

Tutor Group Notices: Wednesday 14th July

MESSAGE FROM UCAS:

If you could request your current Year 12 students register online at www.ucas.com/ucascard selecting ‘Register for a UCAS Card’ before the August deadline then it would be quicker all round.

Student of the week: Week ending 9th July

JAY JERVIS
JESSICA WRIGHT
KATHRYN POWELL
HARRY MILLS

BEST DRESSED
ROB McDONALD
 

Tutor Group Notices: Wednesday 7th July

The following students will need to see Ms. Forde for a quick chat about UCAS personal statements, as she will be working with them one to one, to make sure that they are starting to draft their personal statements.

1.       Molly Baxter

2.       Gemma Banham

3.       Nancy Campopiano

4.       Tommy Lister- Coulton

5.       Georgia Covill

6.       Laura Debourde

7.       Gemma Gibson

8.       Caroline Gittens

9.       Abigail Granger

10.   Emily Heath

11.   Annie Hopkins

12.   Kirstie Houghton

13.   Sam Marchant

14.   Harry Mills

15.   Hayley Morris

16.   Aimee Rawlinson

17.   Sophie Fitzsimmons

18.   Jason Summerfield

19.   Nicole Wenden

20.   Jessica Wright

Those listed need to meet with Ms. Forde next week on Tuesday 13^th July at 9.15am in the LRC

Any of those that are not able to make that day, need to go and see Ms. Forde the following morning

Sixth Form Prom... Have you got your ticket?

Poster designed by Robyn Lidsey

Alice in Wonderland - Tickets now on sale!

Tickets for “Alice in Wonderland” will be on sale from

8.00am, Monday June 21

The Box Office will be in P3 (Ms Peake's room).

The opening hours will be 8.00-8,30am and 2.55pm-3.15pm, with no exception

Prices; Adults £5, Children; £2.50, Welling students, Free.

The performance dates are on July 12, 13 and 14th at 7pm.

The seating is limited to 80 seats for each performance.

Entrance is by ticket only, and must be purchased in advance.

We cannot guarantee entrance "on the night".

All tickets must be paid for at the time of order

You will need to bring cash in an envelope, marked with your name, tutor group, the number of tickets you require and the breakdown of the order (e.g; two adults = £5 x2, and one child = £2.50 and one Welling School student = £0.00, a grand total of £12.50, four seats booked) and the date of the performance you are attending.

This envelope must be shown to the box office, and then delivered to Reception.

Tickets will be ready for collection on Monday July 5

GCSE in Photography anyone?

Photography GCSE Course

View more documents from Welling School Sixth Form.

Tutor Group Notices: Thursday 1st July

• Option choices- all pupils should be looking at doing 4 things next year- a mix of level 3/2
• Anyone interested in Thorpe Park still may be able to go with other year groups - Speak to Ms. Beer
• Greenwich taster day tomorrow- Ms. Beer needs to see all the people on that asap
• Next Tuesday- Mr Hewitt is taking ten people up to SOAS. need names of whose going or who wants to go. first come first served.
• Raffle prizes for the ball- have £50 Bluewater vouchers but other prizes too
• Year 12 induction- amazing attendance and very successful. Year 13 were excellent role models. Thanks to all those involved. It is appreciated.

Student of the week: Week ending 2nd July

GEORGE BURKE
AMBER COX
JAMIE REED

BEST DRESSED
PETER ADEYINKA
 

Student of the week: Week ending 25th June

DANIELLE SIMPSON
SAM MONTGOMERY

BEST DRESSED
SAM MONTGOMERY
 

Deaf Awareness Week

Deaf Awareness Week in the UK is June 28 to July 4 2010. To acknowledge and commemorate this important event, the *AccessAbility Project and the Diversity and Equality Team at the University of Greenwich and Aspire (SE London Aimhigher) have worked together and devised a Deaf Awareness Week prize quiz. The 35 multiple-choice questions have been selected to raise awareness of D/deaf issues, such as education, culture and famous people. The first prize is a £50 book token and there are 5 runner-up prizes of £10 book tokens. Anybody of any age can take part and people abroad are also welcome to have a go. The quiz and more details can be found at www.gre.ac.uk/aap. The deadline for completed quizzes is midnight on Sunday 4 July 2010.